Reasons to Consider Selling a Home Without Help from an Agent

Traditionally, both buyers and sellers have worked closely with professional agents when it comes to arranging for their real estate needs. There is much to be said for working with such specialized experts, because buying or selling a home is often among the most important events in a person or family's life.

On the other hand, it is now increasingly common to see houses being put onto the market and handled by their owners alone. While realtors still offer up important advice and buying homes counsel to clients, some sellers are finding that it can make sense to forgo their assistance.

The most obvious reason to put up a house for sale by owner, of course, is that it allows the owner of the property to keep more of the proceeds of the home. Professional real estate agents understandably take a cut of every sale they are involved in, and these tallies can end up being quite substantial in both relative and absolute terms. Owners who opt to go it alone, then, can expect to take home more of the equity that they worked so hard to build up.

Not every house for sale today, of course, is of this kind, but the commonality of this arrangement is, in fact, increasing. A big part of the reason for this is that it is now easier than ever for owners to get the word out about a home that might be for sale.

While real estate professionals still hold something of a monopoly on the most widespread listing networks, there are other opportunities that can easily prove to be just as fruitful. Some of this newer wave of listing outlets can allow an owner to put a house on sale in front of thousands of potential buyers almost instantly, making it relatively easy to attract some interest.

Compared to working with an agent, too, these options are often much more affordable. In fact, many such services charge only a simple, flat fee, one which will normally amount to only a tiny fraction of what would need to be paid to an agent.

Given these facts, then, it seems likely that this avenue for selling a home will only become more common. While not every owner will want to take on the many responsibilities involved with selling a home, those who are willing to put in the work frequently reap some pretty attractive rewards. In fact, many actually find the whole process enjoyable, further sweetening the deal.